Scaffold-supporting means.



I J. I. HOFFMAN. SCAFFOLD SUPPORTING MEANS;

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, NH?- Patented Jan. 8,1918.

JOHN J. HOFFMAN, 0F MILAN, MISSOURI.

SCAFFOLD-SUPPORTING MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Jan. 8, 1918.

Application filed April 7, 1917. Serial No. 160,362.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milan, in the county of Sullivan, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Scaifoldsupporting Means, of which the following is a full and exact specification.

The present invention relates to means for supporting scaffolding from buildings, and aims to provide an improved and simplified construction of such means, employing as few parts as possible and adapted to reduce materially the cost of this feature of building construction. To this end a scaffold supporting structure has been devised which omits any anchoring devices for securing the same to the building, said supporting structure being held in position by its own weight and, where necessary, by counterweighting the scaffold supporting cable, for overbalancing the weight of the outboard parts.

The invention further consists in relieving the scaffolding itself of any load due to the presence of hoisting means thereon, and providing a hoisting device adapted to be temporarily mounted on the inboard portion of the scaffold supporting structure and equipped with means for removably engaging said structure as well as for detachably gripping the cable, thereby enabling a single hoisting means to take care of the entire scaffold equipment of any one building operation.

With these general objects in view, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating one form of construction which has been devised for embodying the proposed improvements, after which those features and combinations deemed to be novel will be set forth and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a building construction provided with a scaffold supporting means constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention (the section being indicated by the line II of Fig. 2)

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken on the lines IIIIII and IVIV, respec-" tively, of Fig. l, but on a larger scale; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail new of the detachable cable grip member taken on the line V-V of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, this illustrates the frame-Work 2 of a building, upon the roof or top floor 3 of which is loosely mounted a scaffold supporting frame made up of a pair of longitudinal members 4 having their inboard ends connected by a transverse piece 6, and their intermediate portions connected by a cable-rest member 8, while the lookout on outboard ends of said longitudinal members 4 are provided with space blocks 10 between which is journaled a pulley 12. Over this pulley 12 operates the scaffold carrying cable for suspending the scaffold from the overhanging or outboard portion of said supporting frame. This scaffolding is shown as comprising platform timbers 16 carried by means of a series of rectangular frames each made up of spaced top and bottom members 18 and 20, respectively, connected by the upright pieces 22, all suitably bolted together in the relation shown, with the lower end of the corresponding cable 14 secured to a bolt 24 fastened to the mid portions of the top members l8,--see Fig. 3. For steadying the scaffolding in its suspended position and helping to hold the same horizontal, auxiliary cables 26 may be secured to the upper inner corners of said rectangular frames and anchored in any suitable manner, as by con nection to a strip of timber 28 projecting from an adjacent floor of the building 2 and held down by a suitable Weight 30.

At the rear of each pulley 12 each scaffold supporting cable 14 is carried back over the cable rest 8 and around the transverse member 6 for securely holding this portion of the cable to the inboard end of said scaffold supporting frame; from this point the cable is letdown through an opening in the floor or roof 3, below which the cable is provided with a counterweight 34 and the free end of the cable allowed to dangle on to the next lower floor 3. For still more securely holding the cable where it passes around said transverse member 6, if desired, a hook bolt 36 may be engaged with said cable and passed through said member 6 and fitted with a nut 38 whereby the hooked end of the bolt may be drawn tightly against the cable (see Fig. 4) such provision may not be found necessary, however, except for unusual loads, since the frictional engagement of the cable with the cable-rest 8 and with the transverse member 6, in cooperation with the counterweight 3%, will ordinarily be sufficient to retain the cable against. any slipping movement. 7

For hauling in the cables M when the elevation of the scaffolding is to be adjusted, a hoisting device, such-as a winch 40, is temporarily mounted upon the inboard end of each scaffold supporting frame, and rests upon the longitudinal members 4: in front of the transverse member 6, the base of said winch being provided with a pair of-pivoted hook arms 42 adapted to hook over the projecting ends of said transverse member 6. The winch isprovided with a cable 44: having a cable grip or clamp lGfor detachably engaging and gripping the cables 14:;

anypreferred form of cable clamp maybe used for this purpose, that shown comprising the pair of relatively movable jaws 48 and 49 adapted to tighten upon the cables 14 .when engaged therewith and the cable 44:

wound up on the winch drum 50 by turning of the crank 52.

It will thus be apparent inexpensive and yet efficient apparatus has been devised for carrying out the desired objectsof the invention. The scaffold supporting frame is merely mounted loosely upon the roof or an upper floorof the build= ing frame-work, being weighted down so that its inboard portion over-balances its overhanging portion and any load on the cable 14, no other means being required for anchoring the supporting frameto the building. The arrangement of the course of the cable l l in engagement withfthe cable rest and the transverse member 6 and the provision of the counterweight serves to maintain said cable securely against slip-1 ping. The series of cables are conveniently and quickly operated to ad ust the height of the scaffolding by means of'the winch,

which is successively mounted upon the d if and the cable clamp 46 is attached to the cables'l for,

ferent supporting frames hauling in the latter, at which'times the bolts 38 (if used). are temporarily loosened and the cables taken up around the members 6 and the counterweights 34-. also adjusted farther upon said cables. The zipparatus is of such a nature as requires only ordinary stock timbers for its construction, and as it requires no anchoring means it is conveniently and cheaply'installed and as readily removed on completion of the work.'

The operation of the hauling in of the cables 14: is accomplished quickly and with entire safety, and it is obvious that the work of do- Copies of this patent niay be obtained for that a simple and as the proper adjustment of the cables 14:.

The use of but one winch or hoisting device, which 1s simply shifted from one supporting frame to another and so on around the building, materially cheapen's the cost of such equipments, and also expedites the work of hauling in the supporting cables 14 by a winch mounted and operated in the particular relation shown.

\Vhile the foregoing illustrates what is now deemed to constitute the preferred form of embodiment of the improvements, the right is reserved to make all such formal changes or modifications as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: p 1; Means for supporting scaffolding from buildings, comprising a frame loosely supported in overhanging relation from the building, the overhanging portion of said frame being provided with a pulley, and a scaffold supporting cable operating over said pulley and the inboard portion of said frame and provided with a counterwei ht at the inboard end of the frame, said inboard portion of the frame beingweighted down sufficiently to overb'alance the combined weight of its overhanging portion and the load on said cable. I 2. Means for supporting scaffolding frombuildings, comprising a frame loosely sup ported in overhanging relation from the building, the overhanging portion of said frame being provided with a pulley,-and a with a counterweight at the inboard end of said frame, said inboard portion ofthe;

frame being weighted down sufliciently to over-balance the combined weight of its over-7 hanging portion and the load on saidcablea 3. Means for supporting scaffolding from buildings, comprising a frame mounted in overhanging relation from the building substantially horizontal position, the overhanging portion of said frame being pro vided with a pulley, a scaffold supporting cable operating over said pulley, and hoist-- ing means removably mounted on themboard portion of said frame and provided with anchoring means for detachably engaging the lnboard end of sald' frame and also with meansfor detachably gripping said cable. r I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' JOHN J. HOFFMAN. 7

five cents each. by addressing-theCommissioner of'Patents, Washington, D. C. I 

